Who’s next? The most valuable lessons being taught in American schools is how to duck and run. Remember to zig zag kids. Makes for a tougher target.

America is the only country on the planet that allows – no, make that accepts – the wholesale slaughter of its people by firearms.

And no other country on the planet has so powerful a gun lobby.

Richard Burr, our Senator from right here in Winston-Salem, would love for you to believe that’s a coincidence. Burr would also like you to believe that just because the NRA and its affiliated organizations paid $5.6 million in 2016 to help him defeat democratic challenger Deborah Ross that he doesn’t owe his seat in the Senate – that he doesn’t owe his soul – to the gun lobby.

Burr of Reynolds High School, class of ‘74, and Wake Forest University, class of ‘78, was asked Thursday if the AR-15 the crazy used this week to shoot up the high school in Parkland, Fla., should be banned, or their magazines limited.

“I’ll leave it up to investigators to finish their investigation,’’ Burr replied.

Pressed if gun control shouldn’t at least be discussed, Burr ducked and covered.

“I’ll wait until they come out with their full report,’’ he said.

We’ll all wait until they come out with their full report. And then we’ll wait some more.

As mentioned before, I’m not a betting man. But I would wager anything I own except Buckshot, my guitar, that when the report is issued Burr will do the same thing he did after Sandy Hook in 2012, after Orlando in 2016, after Sutherland Springs in 2017, after Las Vegas in 2017.

He’ll extend his thoughts and prayers. And then he will do nothing.

One doesn’t get a perfect record from the NRA by beating squishy on gun-control legislation.

If now is not the time to discuss sensible measures to stop the slaughter of America citizens, then when?

Then when?

Then when?

You’ve never listened to me before on this issue, Richard, and I don’t expect you to now. But I wish you would listen to David Hogg, the 17-year-old who spent this week’s carnage interviewing fellow students holed up in their own school, wondering if they would get out alive.

“You can say, `yes we’re going to do all these things – thoughts and prayers,’ Hogg said. “What we need more than that is action.

“We’re children. You guys, like, are the adults. You need to take action and play a role. Work together. Come over your politics and get something done.’’